Igniter for explosive-engines



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. MUELLER.

IGNITER FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. No. 587,747. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. MUELLER. IGNITER FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

No. 587,747. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEIcE.

PHILIP MUELLER, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

IGNITER FOR EXPLOSlVE-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,747, dated August 10, 1897.

Application filed December 18, 1896. Serial ITO-616,138. (No model.)

To whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILIP MUELLER, of Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Igniters for Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric igniters for explosive-en gines, in which the polepieces of the sparkers or igniters maintain a constant corclation and in which the electric current is short-circuited between explosions.

The invention is particularly applicable to engines having a plurality of cylinders; and its principal object is to enable times of explosion with relation to movements of the en- It is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and it is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan of igniting apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating in side elevation the corclation of certain active parts of the apparatus immediately preceding the creation of a spark between one pair of pole-pieces. Fig. 4 is a similar diagram showing the condition of the parts immediately prior to the development of a spark between the other pair of pole-pieces. Fig. 5 is a plan showing details in the construction of the mechanical features of the apparatus.

In describing my invention specifically I will assume that it is to be used in connection with a two-cylinder engine, that probably being its most useful application.

A shaft 1 is journaled in some suitable manner, preferably in the frame of the engine, though it is a matter of no consequence to the action of the igniter where it is placed or how it is supported. Such shaft is driven by the engine at a speed dependent on the character of the engine, making one rotation to two rotations of the crank-shaft in connection with engines in which an explosion is made in each cylinder every second. rotation of the crankshaft and rotating at the same speed as the crank-shaft in engines that have an explosion in each cylinder at each rotation of the crank-shaft. A cylinder 2, of rubher or other non-conductor of electricity, is fixed onto the end of shaft 1 by means of a pin or screw, as 3, for instance. It extends some distance beyond the end of shaft 1, and it has a circumferential groove, as 4. A metal disk 5 fits against the end of cylinder 2, and from said disk extends a shaft 7, that has a circumferential groove 8 and that is provided 011 its extended end with a diametrical cross-bar 9, that forms radial contactarms. A screw 10 extends axially through shaft 7 and into cylinder 2, and screw 6 passes through an arc-formed slot 5 in disk 5 and into the non-conductor cylinder. A metal strip 17 forms a segment of a circle conforming to the surface of groove 4, to which it is fastened by means of a screw-as 30, for instanceand it has a lateral extension 18, that touches disk 5. Plates 11 and 12, of some non-conducting material, are held on opposite sides of the cylinder 2 by means of arms, as 21 and 22, that may be made to connect with the engine-frame, or by any other suitable means. A metallic brush 13 is secured to plate 12 at one end, and its other end rests in the groove 8 of shaft 7. Metallic brush 1i is fastened at one end to plate 12, and its other end rests in groove I of cylinder 2. Metallic brush 15 is fastened at one end to plate 11, and its opposite end rests in groove 1 and touches the cylinder at a point diametrically opposite the point of contact of brush 14:. A metallic brush 16 is secured at one end to plate 11, and its other end is extended into the path of the contact ends of the arms formed by cross-bar 9. A developer of electrical energy of a character adapted to igniters is indicated generally and conventionally at A wire 24: connects the source of electrical energy with the binding-post 16 of brush 16, and another wire 25 connects the binding-post 13 of brush 13 with the electrical source. \Vire 27 connects binding-post 10 with a pole-piece of sparker 20. \Vire 28 connects the opposite pole-piece of sparker 20 with the hinding-post 15 of brush 15. Tire 29 connects the bindingpost 11 of brush 14: with one of the pole-pieces of sparker 9, and wire 26 connects the other pole-piece of sparker19 with binding-post 16.

The sparkers, which are represented conventionally by separated points at 19 and 20,

may be of any desired construction and may communicate with the interior of the cylinders of an engine in any desirable manner.

The brushes, shaft, and contact parts that have been specified as metallic are preferably made of metal, but it is only necessary that theyshould be conductors of electricity.

It makes no difference in the operation of the apparatus in what direction the current of electricity travels-that is, whether wire 24 is positive and wire 25 negative or the reverse-but to illustrate the operation it will be assumed that the positive impulse is given by way of wire 25 and through brush 13 to shaft 7. \Vhen in the rotation of shaft 1.the segment contact-surface 17 comes in contact with brush 14, a condition that is shown as existing in Figs. 1 and 2, the current is made to pass through sparker 19 by way of brush 14 and wire 29 and back to the source of electrical energy by way of wires 26 and 24. \Vhen the contact-surface 17 touches brush 15, at which time it must from its extent and the corelation of the brushes be out of contact with brush 14, the current is sent through sparker 20 and back to the source of electrical energy through wires 28, 27, and 24 in the order named.

This apparatus provides for alternately igniting the different sparkcrs with fair accuracy and without the inconvenience and loss of energy attendant on passing the current through the engine, but it is not impossible that with nothing but the provision described in the paragraph last preceding the intensity of the current or the susceptibility of the conductors may induce the current to jump from one contact-surface to another in advance of actual contact and with varying distances in length of jumps. This would cause an undesirable variation in times of explosions, and to provide against such conditions brush 16 and cross-bar 9 are introduced. The effect of the brush 16 and crossbar 9 is to short-circuit the current away from contact-surface 17 until such surface is in actual contact with a brush 14 or 15, so that the times of ignition are determined by the times of separation of the ends of cross-bar 9 from brush 16, and the jumping of sparks is effectually precluded.

In Fig. 3 corelation of parts immediately preceding ignition of sparker 20 is represented, while in Fig. 4 the conditions immediately preceding ignition of sparker 19 are shown. In both instances it is seen that the surface 17 is in contact with a brush before the short circuit is broken.

The disk 5 may be adjusted rotatingly with relation to the cylinder 2 by loosening screw 6, turning the disk 011 screw 10, and retightening screw 6. This is done to move the crossbar 9, thereby hastening or retarding the explosions to suit the particular engine with which the apparatus may be connected.

In case the igniter is to be used in connection with more than two sparkcrs the segment 17 is shortened, and brushes to the number required are placed at regular intervals around the path of the segment. In addition to this arms equal to the brushes around the segment are substituted for the crossbar 9, and connections are made in an obvious manner.

In case the igniter is applied to aone-cylinder engine one of the brushes contiguous to the segment may be dispensed with, and one of the arms of cross-bar 9 may be omitted.

As shown and described, the arms of crossbar 9 have intervals of what may be termed air-insulation, but the result would be substantially the same if the circle of which the ends of the arms form segments were completed by rubber or other insulating substance.

The description heretofore given relates to the initial spark, the time of such spark being determined by the breaking of the short circuit when the ends of arms of cross-bar 9 move out of contact with brush 16 in the preferred use of the device. In case it is necessary or desirable to provide for additional sparks a vibrator may be employed in an obvious manner, or the segment 17 may be divided into sections separated by non-conductors, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and the number of such sections will determine the number of additional sparks. In the latter case an ordinary sparking-coil may be substituted for a vibrator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an igniter for explosive-engines, the combination of a rotatable shaft insulated from the engine and communicating with a source of electrical energy, a segment of contact-surface rotatable with the shaft and electrically connected therewith, a plurality of brushes contiguous to the path of the segment and connected each with a pole-piece of a sparker, connections between the source of electrical energy and the opposite pole-pieces of the sparkers, radial arms on the shaft corresponding in number with the brushes c011- tiguous to the segment, a brush in the path of the arms and in communication with the source of electrical energy, substantially as set forth.

2. In an igniter for explosive-engines, the combination of the non-conductor cylinder 2, the shaft 7 having the disk-flange 5 connected with the cylinder in a manner permitting rotary adjustment, the contact-surface 17 fastened to the cylinder and having alateral extension touching the disk flange, brushes 14 and 15 on opposite sides of the path of the contact-surface 17 and communicating each with a pole-piece of a sparker, conductors between the opposite pole-pieces of the sparkcrs and the source of electrical energy, brush 1S bearing against shaft 7 and communicating with the source of electrical energy, cross-bar 9 on shaft '7, brush 16111 the path of the arms of the crossbar, and an electrical connection between the source of elec- IIO trical energy and the brush i6, substantially as set forth.

3. An igniter for explosive-engineshaving the following essential peculiarities, namely, a plurality of brushes communicating each with sparkers, a movable electrode adapted to contact with the brushes successively, a short circuit for the current passing from the electrode to the brushes, or the reverse, and means for maintaining the short circuit While the electrode is out of contact With a brush and for breaking it when contact is made, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an igniter for explosive-engines, the combination of a rotatable shaft insulated from the engine and communicating With a source of electrical energy, a segment of circular contact-surface made up of alternate In testimony whereof I sign my name in the 30 presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

PHILIP MUELLER.

Attest:

WILL DILL, A. H. BARBER. 

